Kentucky's Jim Bunning bids blunt adieu to Senate

'I stood by my beliefs' during 12 years

WASHINGTON - Sen. Jim Bunning offered a hard-edged farewell to the U.S. Senate during a floor speech on Thursday, criticizing lawmakers for failing to address a laundry list of issues but saving his pointed barbs for an old nemesis, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke.

The 77-year-old Kentucky Republican, retiring after 12 years in the upper chamber, appeared to come near tears at a couple of points during his 20-minute address, particularly when he cited his children and his wife, Mary, who he described as "my lighthouse who always shined in the dark."

But for the most part, Bunning, known almost as much for his dour demeanor as his legislative accomplishments, was defiant to the end.

"I have been booed by 60,000 fans in Yankee Stadium standing alone on the mound, so I have never really cared if I stood alone here in the Congress, as long as I stood by my beliefs and my values," said Bunning, a former pitcher and member of Major League Baseball's Hall of Fame.

"I have also thought that being able to throw a curve ball was never a bad skill for a politician to have."

By his own assessment, Bunning acknowledged that he changed very little over the years, noting that he maintained "the same conservative principles in 2010 that I had when I was first elected to Congress."

"Over the years, I have always done what I thought was right for Kentucky and my country. I did not run for public service for fame or public acclaim. When I cast my votes, I thought about how they would affect my grandchildren and the next generation of Kentuckians, not where the political winds of the time were blowing."

Senator listsaccomplishments

Standing at the desk once used by 19th-century Kentucky statesman Henry Clay, Bunning expressed particular pride in three accomplishments:

● Legislation that repealed the earnings limit on older Americans under the Social Security system. The limit, he said, was an "unfair tax on seniors and punished them for being willing to work.''

● A flood insurance reform bill adopted in 2004, just in time for Hurricane Katrina.

"Had that law not been in place, homeowners all along the Gulf Coast would not have had coverage for their flood damage to their homes.''

● His work on behalf of employees at the Paducah gaseous diffusion plant, the only uranium enrichment plant in the United States, who suffered serious illness as a result of their work in behalf of the Cold War.

On the negative side of the ledger, Bunning expressed concern about the rising cost of entitlement programs such as Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare.

"It is clear that our government cannot meet its future obligations, and ultimately the American people will suffer," he said.

"Unfortunately, too many members of Congress are too willing to look the other way and let the financial problems of these programs fester instead of making hard decisions. Congress just cannot get the courage together to address these issues head-on."

The health care reform bill, he said, "is one of the worst pieces of legislation that I have seen in Congress in 24 years." He blamed it on majority Democrats for their "stubborn refusal to compromise and, more important, listen to the desires of the American people."

He also noted that the financial reform bill passed by the 111th Congress will "certainly sow the seeds for the next banking and financial crisis, while at the same time adding more burdens on the economy struggling to recover."

Bunning noted that he was a lone wolf criticizing Federal Reserve policies "that caused two recessions and two asset bubbles" and complained that Bernanke's easy money policies are undermining our currency.

In the future, Bunning said, "my hope is that Congress will focus on the astronomical debt instead of continuing down the path of spending our future generations into higher taxes and a lower standard of living than we have now."